


Melody

by ohmymcgrath



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Rewrite, S03E14: Schott Through the Heart, SuperCorp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 16:28:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14429601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmymcgrath/pseuds/ohmymcgrath
Summary: Where Lena got invited to karaoke night. Written for season 3, episode 14.





	Melody

Lena smiles to herself as she watches Kara down another shot, grinning proudly at her sister when she realizes that she's finished first. Alex, a flush high on her cheeks, shivers but nevertheless drops her empty glass with a triumphant sound. 

"Another?" she challenges, raising her chin. 

They've been at this for a while now, a little sisterly competition that Lena finds both fascinating and rather adorable. And while the older Danvers is clearly struggling to keep up, Lena can see the way she rejoices each time Kara laughs and suspects she's participating simply to see her sister smile.

And Lena can relate to that.

After all, that's why _she's_ here, feeling slightly out of place in her sleek black dress and heels with her hands cradled around a glass of ginger ale as a particularly purple looking alien pours a few beer chasers for the girls. She wishes she could ask for a glass of scotch (maybe then her heart would stop leaping every time Kara casually placed her hand on her thigh) but she doesn't quite trust herself. 

Because a drunk (or even slightly tipsy - let's face it, the words are already on the tip of her tongue every time Kara is even in the room) might inadvertently tell the blonde beside her that her smile is the most beautiful thing she's ever seen, or that what she wants most in the world at that moment is to see if some of its warmth would seep into her if she kissed her.

Definitely safer to stick to ginger ale.

"Alex, you do know that Kara can drink you under the table, right?" Winn asks, somewhat rhetorically, as he comes up to grab a beer.

Kara huffs a proud little, "Ha!"

(Her hand lands on Lena's thigh again and Lena chokes a bit on her ginger ale).

Alex waves a hand in the air and makes a noncommittal noise - something between a scoff and a snort that seems to say that, yes, she knows but she'll never admit it. Lena can't help but admire her fortitude.

Winn laughs and passes her a bottle of beer, linking his free arm through hers.

"Come on," he tells her fondly. "You're singing next."

Lena watches them go with a slight feeling of panic (God, but Kara's hand is warm) because now that the elder Danvers is gone she is about to be faced headfirst with a flushed, grinning Kara and-

Yep, the sight still takes her breath away.

"You're remarkable, you know," she says as smoothly as possible, and though she means it in so many other ways, she tilts her head towards the collection of empty glasses on the bar. 

The other woman giggles, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth in a way Lena tries desperately not to watch.

"It's my one talent," Kara declares proudly, looking remarkably like a certain superhero Lena knows as she puts her hands on her hips. "Really good alcohol tolerance."

Lena hums and then, because she can't help it, she raises an eyebrow and says, "That's not you're only talent, Miss Danvers."

As she hoped she would, Kara blushes almost instantly and Lena allows herself to enjoy the sight for a moment before she gestures to the rest of the room.

"This place really is nice," she admits, a little surprised by how genuinely she means it. She'd been very nervous when Kara had first sent her an invitation. After all, a Luthor wasn't likely to be well received in an alien bar, however well she meant. But besides a few sideways glances when she first arrived (squashed rather quickly by stern looks by _both_  Danvers sisters), she had felt nothing but welcomed. And it was refreshing to spend time so casually like this and she loved seeing Kara so happy. Sure, karaoke night was slightly petrifying, but Kara had promised not to make her sing and as the night went on and Kara stayed right at her side, she decided it was worth the risk anyway.

Especially when Kara has that bright smile on her face like she does right now.

A smile that suddenly comes so much closer as Kara leans forward, taking one of her hands in hers.

Her voice is soft, low, as she says, "I'm really glad you came, Lena."

Despite herself, Lena can feel the whole bar slip away in that moment, at the feel of Kara's warm hand, her thumb brushing over the back of her knuckles. At the way her blue eyes manage to shine like little diamonds even in the dim lighting. At the way the other woman's smile has softened into something that is making her heart clench. In that moment, all that exists is _Kara_ , and she doesn't hear the music or feel the press of people around them or see the way J'onn is watching them from across the room with a knowing look because she can't look away from those beautiful blue eyes.

"M-Me too."

She holds Kara's gaze for a few moments longer than is probably appropriate, but Kara keeps looking right back at her and so she lets herself indulge for those few extra seconds. 

Until Alex's singing cuts through her haze and she forces her gaze to the bar, to her glass, to anything that might help cool the blush on her cheeks.

"Are you sure you don't want to sing?" Kara asks, grinning as she watches her sister launch into a slightly slurred version of Cyndi Lauper's 'I Drove All Night.'

Lena winces, eyeing Alex with sympathy. Not that Alex doesn't have a wonderful voice (Lena caught her singing in Kara's kitchen once), but the shots are obviously starting to take effect.

Lena doesn't think the bar can handle two disasters.

"Absolutely sure," she nods.

Kara laughs and slips to her feet, immediately holding her hand out for Lena.

"Well, let's at least go join the fun."

Lena will never admit it, but she adores how tactile Kara is. Luthors aren't known for being physical (at least not in an affectionate way) and though it had taken some getting used to, Kara's tendency to hold her hand or scoop her up in a hug without any provocation (or warning) had quickly become one of Lena's favorite things about her. It made her feel _there_. Wanted. Special.

No one had ever made her feel like they were proud to have her beside them the way Kara did.

Maybe that was why she had fallen in love with her.

She slips her hand into Kara's with ease, letting the other woman lead her towards the tables where their small group is watching the stage. J'onn is scooting into another chair as they arrive, leaving two spaces for Kara and Lena to slip into beside him. James gives her a welcoming smile as they do, and Lena can hear Winn singing along with Alex as she finishes her song. Kara whoops as her sister bows before stepping carefully towards the table, swinging the mic towards her boss.

"You're turn, Space Dad."

Lena loves the camaraderie, feels it wash over her and make her feel warm and _right_. She loves the way everyone laughs and smiles and tips their drinks together as they cheer for whoever is on stage. She especially loves the way Kara puts her arm across the back of Lena's chair so that she can't help but lean into Kara's side and they sit there pressed together as J'onn and then James take a turn at the mic. Then Alex is tugging Kara to her feet.

Kara hesitates in her seat, looking sideways at Lena as if for permission. But Lena is already joining everyone in urging her to sing, and her cheeks hurt from smiling so widely as she watches Kara and her sister do their rendition of the Beastie Boys' 'Intergalactic,' which she finds positively hilarious, a bit ironic and absolutely charming.

It's Alex who demands a solo from Kara, winking at her little sister. Kara blushes, pulls her bottom lip between her teeth but eventually agrees. Lena watches curiously as the room around her goes quiet, anticipation seeming to buzz from her companions and even some of the other spectators in the bar. Kara whispers something to the bartender and hands him her phone before she takes her place before the mic.

"Alright everyone. I'm going to slow it down with an original from a friend of mine," she says, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes straying to Lena with a shy smile.

Lena tilts her head as the music starts, a soft piano melody that makes her heart skip. She's holding her breath when Kara raises her head and meets her gaze as she sings the opening verse.

" _Can't say how the days will unfold._  
_Can't change what the future may hold._  
_But I want you in it._  
_Every hour, every minute._

_This world can race by far too fast._  
_Hard to see while it's all flying past._  
_But it's clear now._  
_When you're standing here now._  
_I am meant to be wherever you are next to me_."

Lena can't breathe. Can't draw a single breath into her lungs. All she can do is watch, mesmerized, as Kara sings; her voice the sweetest sound Lena has ever heard, the words like sunlight as they flow through her. She can feel the tears pool in her eyes, can feel her heart pounding in her chest with hope, hope, _hope_ , and she has to drop her eyes to her lap just to hold it all back.

Because the song resonates too much, too deeply. And she can feel Kara's eyes on her, can feel them like she can feel the edges of her seat curled between her fists, and a smile breaks free like a breath of air.

"You gave me no other choice but to love you," Kara sings, drawing Lena's eyes to her again, and they lock for a single, spectacular moment where the whole world feels like it slips into place.

But then Kara's eyes dart sideways, and her voice falters as a smile comes over her face. And when Lena turns to see what's caught her attention, she sees Mon-el where he's just walked in and it's as if a bucket of cold water just got poured over her head. Memories crash into her, memories that mute Kara's voice and she wants so badly to _go back_ , to grab the words and hold them to her heart and ignore the rest of the world and just tell Kara that she loves her but she can't. Because Kara is still smiling at Mon-el and she's still just Lena Luthor.

Kara's friend.

The sound of her chair scratching against the floor draws the attention of the people around her, but all she can do is mumble, "I need some air. Please excuse me," as she hurries to her feet and slips out the nearest door she can find. She's so focused on breathing and on trying not to let the tears pour over her cheeks that she doesn't hear her name being called.

Her hands are shaking so badly that she can't even reach her phone to dial her driver and she needs to leave, now.

When someone touches her arm, it's so unexpected that she flinches.

"Lena, what... Where are you going?"

It's Kara. She looks as crestfallen as Lena feels, her blue eyes pleading, and Lena struggles to look at anything but her lest her tears betray her after all.

"I'm sorry, I- I have to go. I just remembered that I have something I need to do. At the office."

It sounds weak even to her ears, and she winces but manages to smooth her features into some form of composure (Lillian would be proud).

But Kara still looks like she might cry and it's eating away at her mask faster than she can fix it.

"Oh," Kara whispers. There'a a long moment of silence before she adds, "Okay."

Lena's eyes flicker back to the bar and she clenches her jaw, reminds herself that what matters most to her is that Kara is _happy_.

(Even if it destroys her heart).

"I saw Mon-el," she says quietly, calmly. "You should go talk to him."

Kara's crinkle deepens, and she parts her mouth as if to say something but doesn't. Her silence makes Lena uneasy, makes her wish she knew how to make her smile again. 

Her voice cracks when she tells her, "The song was beautiful, Kara."

Kara finally meets her eyes and Lena sees the tears pooling there. "I... I just wanted you to know."

Her words, whispered so softly Lena could barely hear them, take her completely by surprise. Her heart, her traitorous heart, leaps in her chest.

"You wanted," she starts to say, but frowns. "But I thought you... I thought Mon-el-"

Kara reaches for her slowly, so slowly that Lena could move away if she wanted. But she doesn't. It's the last thing in the world she wants. Instead she leans into Kara's touch, revels in the way her fingers trace her jaw, a whimper building in her throat as she tries to swallow the words on the tip of her tongue.

Kara ducks her head so that their eyes meet and smiles. "It's you, Lena. It's always been you. It took me forever to realize it but once I did... I love you, Lena Luthor."

There are a million things Lena wants to say, words leaping and twisting and begging to finally be allowed free. But Lena ignores them, tells them to wait just a little bit longer as she leans up on her toes and kisses the woman in front of her. Her cheeks are wet and she's pretty sure that Kara's are too, but all she can think about is the unmistakable, unbelievable fact that Kara's lips are on hers.

And her heart is singing without ever uttering a word at all.


End file.
